The Catholic Life
I was baptized in the Catholic Church when I was a baby, and I was confirmed when I was four years old. Usually kids are confirmed in middle school, but I was impatient and wanted to commit and be confirmed. I spent some time in the UK, attending mass at Catholic Church and Sunday school. When I came to the US, I started going to mass regularly with my mom. I stopped in high school but I started going to mass again and taking Eucharist last year.
Why be Catholic? The Catholic Church is the original church that Jesus started. The Protestant church started when Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Church and he decided to strip away some key tenets of Christianity and form the Protestant church. Protestants don’t believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, while Catholics believe in the transubstantiation of Jesus’s body into the Eucharist. The Eucharist is one of the main reasons I keep going to Catholic mass.
The Catholic faith has seven sacraments as visible signs of God’s grace.
Baptism - entry into Christian life. The Holy Spirit enters you.
Eucharist - Holy Communion, which provides spiritual nourishment
Confirmation - Strengthening in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts - wisdom, understsanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord
Reconciliation - Confession which provides forgiveness and healing
Anointing of the Sick
Holy Orders
Matrimony - a sacred covenant between spouses
As a Catholic, I pray the Holy Rosary daily — Our Father, Hail Mary. I also pray the Lectio Divina, which is the sacred reading of Scripture. This has helped shape my spiritual life.
The Catholic calendar is structured around the life of Christ — Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and Ordinary Time.
Reconciliation is important to heal. We examine our conscience regularly, confess sins to a priest, and receive absolution.
Sacramentals are tools for prayer and devotion that remind us of God’s presence — crucifixes, holy water, rosaries, medals, and scapulars.
Catholics also fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. We abstain from meat on Fridays. This invites spiritual discipline and self denial in a world that prizes comfort.
Lastly, Catholics believe in good works. Faith without good works is dead. Volunteering and missional work is a great way to serve others and practice good works.
Returning to Catholicism is the best thing I could have done for my spiritual health, and I’m glad I did. Every day is a step of growth in my journey with Jesus Christ, and my life has been made better with the presence of God. If you want to be Catholic, there is OCIA for adults with final culmination and baptism on Easter Sunday. Check with your local Catholic church for more information.
I hope this article was informative and inspirational. Have a blessed day.
